Credit score mistakes

Seven common mistakes people make that can harm their credit score, according to CNN Money:

1. Carrying big balances

2. Closing credit cards

3. Paying late

4. Defaulting

5. Opening too many credit lines

6. Not having a credit card

7. Co-signing

Number to Know

100: "The importance of paying bills on time cannot be understated," says Barrett Burns, president and CEO of VantageScore Solutions. A single missed payment can drop a person's credit score 80 to 100 points, he added.

— Brandpoint

Tech Talk

For many used to doing their tasks in a Windows 95/98/XT/Vista/7 environment, Windows 8 turned out to be a nightmare. Currently in beta, Windows 8.1 addresses some of the problems of the last year's Windows 8. The formal introduction of Windows 8.1 will come mid-October just before the unofficial start of the holiday buying season.